Bel-Loc Diner Inc

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
At this diner, waitresses greet longtime customers by name and stick a candle into the dessert when birthdays roll around. Bel-Loc's counter and cozy vinyl booths make it look like a freeze frame from 1964, the year it opened. At a time when most restaurants don't welcome smokers, the Bel-Loc hostess greets diners with the question, "Smoking or nonsmoking?" A side dining room permits smokers to puff away while they eat.

The Food
No surprises here: just beefy burgers, turkey with gravy and crispy fried fish. Classic diner favorites tend to be better than more ambitious items like crab cake sandwiches. All entrees come with salad and your choice of two vegetables, just like Mom used to make. Catch Bel-Loc at breakfast, available around the clock, and you'll agonize between thick-sliced raisin-bread French toast and fluffy, mountainous omelets. Save room for a slice of rich coconut cream pie washed down with a smooth cup of joe.